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Well this is a REALLY old thread of mine but I just wanted to post an update, even if it's not the greatest news.
My family and I moved to the Lexington area in 2007 after living in the Iowa City, Iowa area for most of our lives. I was so grateful for the information that others here provided for me! I don't know if any of the same people are here yet or not - I realize it has been almost 7 years.
The move did not prove to be a good one for us. The Lexington area was much more Southern than we were used to - I still cannot get used to that. It is too far south for me in terms of almost everything.
Compared to Iowa City we found the area to be MUCH less tolerant in terms of most issues, particularly religion. The first question I was asked when moving here was "where is your church home?" I lived in Iowa City for 25 years without ever hearing that question. Then, when I responded that we were agnostic, we were basically shunned.
The move was too much for us to keep our family together and my husband and I divorced a year after moving here. I am waiting for my youngest to graduate high school (5 years), then I am moving north. I cannot get there fast enough....
I just am not a Lexington person. The schools are very sub-par compared to Iowa. We had it so good and didn't know it.
How strange! I'm sorry about your Lex life! We moved here in March from LI, NY and have not yet been asked about our "church home" or anything else related to religion. We've found everyone, for the most part, has been friendly and pleasant! I will say that I felt a bit of an alien when I took a dish of ziti to a club function and several had never heard of ziti!!
Well, it sounds like you still have 5 years here! Perhaps try to enjoy the area's beauty and all its other idiosyncrasies! Best of luck to you!
ic-epi, I moved to Louisville in 2004...and only lasted nine months. I did have to commute into the city for another 2.5 years, however. I've typed my experiences nearly ad nauseum in the Louisville forum, so I won't hash them out again here, but I found the people there to be ver rude, unwelcoming and extremely "Louisville-centric." Yet they had this strange inferiority/superiority complex--they thought they had a higher quality city than Cincy, Indy, or (God forbid) Lexington, and had the only place in Kentucky worth even living in, and yet there was this strange competitiveness that "we don't have what they have." It's hard to describe unless you've lived there, but the people and general social environment weren't very pleasant. I give the city this: a great food scene and some interesting history.
Having grown up right outside of Lexington, I've grown to actually appreciate many of Lexington's qualities over the years (even though I hate the UK Wildcats). I wouldn't call myself a "Lexington person," per se, but it is a beautiful emerging medium-sized city. Its issues with me aren't the Southern religiosity which I've found to me more of an issue in the small towns (**cough** eastern Kentucky, Lawrenceburg, Wilmore... **cough**), but just the sense of "we're from Kentucky and we like it that way," which is code for status quo. This has to do with the fact that many people in the state view Lexington as "Kentucky's city" (which in many respects it really is) and many Lexingtonians are no more than two generations away from the farms and hollows. Oh, and the constant UK 24/7 news coverage, "See Blue" and decal on every third car makes me wanna puke.
Oh well, I left the state. Good luck with your eventual move to Iowa; I don't think I could live there because of the cold, but it has a unique honor of being both conservative and yet socially progressive, which I like.
Most local people who ask about church activities are just trying to be friendly and inclusive, rather than judgmental. They enjoy their own churches and want to share, especially with those who are new to the community and who may not have found a congenial church or met many people.
Yes, Versailles is quite different from Lexington, as it's a much smaller town and is more conservative than Lexington in many ways, and also can be a little clannish and . That's spelled with a "c", btw. However, Versailles has a charming downtown, a rich history, several small museums, and is surrounded by spectacular scenery. Lexington is only twelve miles away for a wider assortment of cultural activities, shopping, etc.
Sorry you found the Bluegrass too "Southern". Many people think that's part of its charm. I am a native Kentuckian with many years in this area, but I've lived both north and south of Central Kentucky, and it feels "Upper South" to me, not Deep South by any means. Our current weather certainly isn't very "Southern"!
Actually, there is a very lengthy thread about whether Kentucky is Southern or not, with widely varying opinions, some of which are quite heated. Much of the "Southernness" of this area has been considerably diluted by transplants from many other places, though clearly the Southern influence remains predominant. I am curious, though - you seem to find this area's Southernness objectionable - can you be more specific about why you dislike it?
Sorry you are unhappy with the schools in Versailles. There's an excellent public library on Main Street downtown - I hope your family is making good use of it to supplement your children's education.
If you're going to be in Central Kentucky for five more years, I do hope you will make an effort to "enjoy the area", as you state. Good luck to you.
I was asked why I don't care for the 'southern' lifestyle.
1) The accent. Very hillbilly-ish and after seven years I still cringe when I hear it. And the climate (should be its own number)... I love winter and snow and I hate endless humidity and no winter season.
2). The conservative social environment. This goes to religion as well as all other social issues. I was spoiled with living in an area where I could learn to be socially very diverse and liberal and appreciate all kinds of persons. Here it is much different. I'll leave it at that, although I could quote lots of examples.
3) The food. Very poor-quality restaurants... we still miss quality pizza (Chicago - and New York style) restaurants as well as excellent seafood restaurants. The supposedly "excellent" steakhouses here would not last a week where I come from. Plus they are way overpriced. The 'southern food' is very unhealthy and is all fried and covered with gravy. If I see another 'Hot Brown' on yet another restaurant menu I might scream.... heart attack on a plate covered with bacon and gravy.
4) The traffic. Horrible. I won't go on.
5) Education. I come from Iowa City, IA which has the best public schools in the nation, so perhaps it's not a fair comparison. But I have been very disappointed in the school systems and teachers here. Many of the teachers that taught my kids in elementary school had horrible grammar and spelling. Just unreal and unacceptable for a teacher. Look at the national stats and see where Kentucky ranks... it is among the worst in the nation.
6) Drug abuse. The worst state in the country for abuse of prescription painkillers. Much more to be said - meth labs and so forth - but you get it.
7) Obesity and general health and well-being - Kentucky ranks among the worst states in the nation in terms of the residents' health, obesity, etc. More people here smoke than almost anywhere else in the US.
8) Economic health of the state - hypocrisy. The state makes its economic 'living' from bourbon and tobacco. Yet many counties are 'dry'. Even in the more 'liberal' counties I have to go to a separate store to buy a bottle of wine to go with dinner instead of being able to buy it at the supermarket. Hypocrisy and conservatism lives on and on.
I could go on but that's enough for now. It's just not my thing. I can't wait to go back to where I was welcomed for who I am. Here in Versailles, if your family hasn't lived here for decades, then forget it. I have friends who are transplants to Lexington who have told me they have experienced the exact same thing.
Well, bless your heart honey.....it must be awful for you to have to keep your young'un in a substandard school for 5 MORE YEARS. My My wormern ain't that child abuse? Is ye truck broke down? Maybe ye ort to check with some of them Church Homes around town and see iffin they got ary dollar or two to help ye get back on the road home. They'll help people sufferin.
Hey, by the way, what happened to that man ah yourn,...did he head back to the promise land or is he hanging around lexton for 5 more years too? My guess he got out of town as soon as he could....and, I can't say I blame'im, it being such a bad place and all. You know what I mean.
Everyone knows I ain't a fan of lexton and, I don't see too well either but, I can see through this and I'm just an old dumb Hill Billy, Redneck.
Hey, I still love ye though even if'n ye ain't got nary "Church Home" ha ha ha that's a good one.
You can fool some of the people some of the time but,..........you can't fool all of the people all of the time.
I know I shouldn't be over here on the lexton board...I just couldn't help myself.
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Thanks gimme it!!!
My My wormern ain't that child abuse?
Is ye truck broke down? Maybe ye ort to check with some of them Church Homes around town and see iffin they got ary dollar or two to help ye get back on the road home. They'll help people sufferin. 
...did he head back to the promise land or is he hanging around lexton for 5 more years too? My guess he got out of town as soon as he could....and, I can't say I blame'im, it being such a bad place and all. You know what I mean.
